Above class open to undergraduates only
Above class carries Culture Studies credit
Above class meets with INST-I211
Need study skills help? Then contact the Student Academic Center
(855-7313) for on-line authorization for EDUC-X101 (Learning
Strategies for History, two additional credits) that will be offered
2:30-3:45 MW or 2:30-3:45 TR.
The region of South Asia today encompasses the countries of India,
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka.
This course is intended to introduce students to some of the
principal historical themes and cultural features of this diverse
region from the ancient past to the present day, and will be of
interest to those wishing to gain a deeper understanding of South
Asian culture; Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam; British imperialism;
and South Asian nationalism.
Lectures will proceed chronologically, and will focus upon topics
such as: the nature of ancient society and the role of religion in
daily life; the rise of Buddhism and Jainism; the functioning of the
ancient imperial state; cultural and religious syncretism in the
ancient world; the development of sacred temple architecture;
the 'invasion' of Turkic peoples into the subcontinent from the
eleventh century; Islam in South Asia; the rise and decline of the
Mughal empire; the development of Indo-Islamic art and architecture;
the advent of British colonial rule in the eighteenth century;
cultural and social change under British rule; the rise of Indian
nationalism; Hindu and Islamic religious identities and 'communal'
violence in the modern period; popular Western perceptions of South
Asia; and modern Hindu fundamentalism.
Students will be evaluated on the basis of both written assignments
and examinations.
Course readings will be taken from a number of key textbooks, and
from supplementary primary material through Oncourse or e-reserve.
Visual and reading material presented in class, including film
extracts, primary source documents, and examples of South Asian
architecture, will provide the basis for in-class discussion.